Chilaquiles Verdes (Breakfast Tortilla Chips with Salsa Verde, Crema & Eggs)

Ingredients

Contains dairy, egg. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Method

1. 1

   Husk and rinse the tomatillos under warm water to remove the sticky residue, then pat dry.

2. 2

   Trim stems from the jalapeños and roughly halve the white onion; leave garlic cloves whole.

3. 3

   Using a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the tomatillos, jalapeños, halved white onion and garlic, turning occasionally, until charred/blistered in spots.

   You want a good char but don’t fully burn — this adds depth to the salsa.

   7 min
4. 4

   Transfer the toasted vegetables to a blender; add 1/2 the cilantro, lime juice, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 tsp salt, then blend to a smooth but slightly textured sauce.

5. 5

   Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

6. 6

   Pour the blended salsa into the hot saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the raw edge of the salsa cooks off and it slightly reduces.

   Taste and add up to another 1/2 teaspoon salt if needed.

   8 min
7. 7

   Stack the corn tortillas and cut each into 6 wedges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

8. 8

   Pour the 1 1/2 cups oil into a large, heavy skillet and heat over medium-high until shimmering (or until a small piece of tortilla sizzles on contact).

9. 9

   Fry the tortilla wedges in batches, turning once, until crisp and golden; transfer to a paper-towel-lined tray and lightly salt.

   Avoid overcrowding so chips fry crisp instead of steaming.

   12 min
10. 10

    Return the saucepan of hot salsa to medium heat if it cooled, then pour the salsa over the warm chips in a large skillet or shallow baking dish and gently toss to coat.

    Toss just until chips are moistened — you want them softened but not completely soggy.

    4 min
11. 11

    Scatter crema over the sauced chips and crumble queso fresco on top; sprinkle remaining chopped cilantro and the thinly sliced red onion.

12. 12

    If using eggs, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium and fry eggs to your liking (sunny-side up takes ~4–5 minutes).

    5 min
13. 13

    Top the chilaquiles with the fried eggs (one per serving) and serve immediately with lime wedges.